Piety Corner Intersection Overhaul Edges Forward In Waltham

WALTHAM, MA —One of the oldest homes in the city was demoted this week from historical to not-so-much, paving the way for it to be demolished so the city can overhaul the notorious intersection where it currently sits, per a plan that stems from 2016.

This week, the Waltham Historical Commission voted that the house 380 Lexington Street had lost its historical significance because renovation and modernization over the years left just the original chimneys. Everything else from the vinyl siding to the windows were new and compromised the home's historic value. Translation: the home wasn't worth saving, at least for historical purposes.

The city bought the property at the intersection of Lexington Street, Totten Pond Road and Bacon Street and planned to remove the early 1800s era house on the site, and use the space to alleviate traffic in one of the worst intersections in the city, which will likely see more volume as the nearby area is developed. In 2016 the project was estimated at $2 million.

Some in the city were concerned about losing a historical home so the commission looked into it more closely.

The intersection, which was on the traffic commission's agenda well before the 2016 plan popped up, was labeled as the intersection with the fourth highest crash rate in 2016 with about 20 crashes there a year and some of the worst delay times of any intersection in the city, according to city documents.

Updates to come.

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